Water skier&#39;s safety system

ABSTRACT

A water safety system to be carried on the person of a water skier. The water safety system occupies a minimal packing envelope and includes a signal flag borne by an extendable flag pole. The flag and flag pole assembly are readily accessible to the skier and permit rapid display of the signal flag when a skier enters the water. Weighted floatation devices maintain the signal flag displayed above the water when the pole is unattended.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a water safety system for use by water-skiers.In particular, the invention relates to signaling means to be utilizedby a water-skier who is down in the water. Specifically, the inventionrelates to a safety flag to be carried by a water-skier and displayed bythe skier to alert oncoming boats and the like that the skier is down inthe water.

2. Prior Art

Water-skiing becomes more popular every year. In the course of pursuingthe sport, a power boat tows a skier across the water at such speeds asto permit the skis of the skier to skim over the surface of the water. Acompetent skier will frequently draw the attention of persons in thevicinity of the activity. A skier, skimming the water surface, is easilyseen. However, should the skier lose hold of the tow rope or otherwiselose her balance, she will immediately sink into the water to besupported by her life jacket which maintains her head and possibly partof her shoulders above water.

While it is relatively easy to discern a skier skimming the water, it isanother problem altogether to locate a skier down in the water. Safetyrules require that the tow boat have an individual whose only task is tomaintain sight of the skier. Thus, if the skier goes down into thewater, that person may direct the boat back to the site at which theskier went into the water. There is no requirement that all other boatsmaintain lookout for skiers and their progress. Normal safety provisionsmust be complied with so as to avoid endangering a skier, however, aperson piloting a boat in the vicinity is not held responsible forobserving a water-skier as the skier slips down into the water. Theperson piloting the boat is expected to watch for obstacles in the waterso as not to harm his own boat or to injure a swimmer. But, it is notunusual that a swimmer or skier down in the water shall be run over by apassing boat. It is readily understood that a swimmer is in danger ofbeing knocked unconscious, drowned, or mangled by a boat's propellershould the path of a boat and a swimmer cross.

The danger was recognized as early as 1963 when U.S. Pat. No. 3,106,184was issued to Shea who disclosed a water-ski safety cap, a head coveringfrom which projected an upright shaft and a pennant shaped plate. Asomewhat similar head covering was disclosed by Levy, et al. in U.S.Pat. No. 3,213,823 issued in October of 1965. Levy made provision forthe upright shaft to fold downward into a generally horizontal positionwith respect to the upright skier. His shaft was tapered and was alsoprovided with a pennant shaped plate.

In 1988, Melendez, et al. were issued a U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,264 whichdisclosed a warning flag which was coupled to a skier's life jacket atthe center rear thereof. A long flexible mast extended upward from thelife jacket a substantial distance beyond the highest point of theskier's head and terminated in a flexible flag. When the skier went downinto the water this flag was visible some distance above the skier'shead.

All three of the inventions noted display a potentially dangerouscharacteristic. Each provides the skier with an extended shaft or mastwhich, in the case of a bad spill, could cause physical damage to theskier and, in the case of a collision between skiers, could conceivablypuncture the body of the other skier causing severe injury or evendeath. The plate-like pennants of Levy and Shea could prove to bepotential weapons of destruction as well.

It is the intention of the present invention to offer the water-skier asafety system for signaling the skier's position in the water whichsafety system may be carried by the skier in a small convenient package,with the signal flag undisplayed but readily available to the skier atany time and particularly when the skier has gone down into the water.The small package of the safety system provides no hindrance to theskier and offers no danger to the skier or others as might be derivedfrom the extended shafts and pointed rigid pennants of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is a water-skier safety system. In a first aspect thesystem may be considered an improvement on existing safety systems whichcomprise a signal flag, a pole which bears that flag and means forcarrying the flag and the pole which are coupled to the water-skier. Theimprovement lies in the fact that the pole is extendable from a minimal,transporting dimension to a maximum, flag displaying dimension. Also,the means for carrying the flag and the pole has a quick release meanswhich allows the releasable transporting of the pole, in its minimaltransporting dimension, and the flag, undisplayed, so as to present asafety system packaging envelope of a small enough size so as topreclude presentation of dangers to a water-skier and to others as willoccur when a water-skier carries an extended flag pole shaft with a flagdisplayed while water-skiing.

In the improvement the means for carrying the flag and pole has strapengaging means. There are straps coupled to these strap engaging meansso as to couple the carrying means itself to at least one of a lifejacket and to a part of a skier's body, for example, an arm or a leg.

A further safety feature adds to the improvement. Part of the extendableflag pole comprises a floatation chamber which has a weight therein. Theaffect of the weight within the floatation chamber is such that the polewill float on a generally longitudinally upright position when in thewater.

In terms of apparatus, the invention may be summarized as a water safetysystem for water-skiers which comprises an extendable flag pole, thepole being unextended. There is a signal flag furled about and coupledto the unextended flag pole. The flag and pole are coupled to a carrierand there are means for coupling the carrier to a water-skier for easeof transport by the water-skier.

There are quick disconnected means on the carrier for rapidly decouplingthe flag and the pole from the carrier. In this way a water-skier, whogoes down in the water, may rapidly extend the pole and unfurl the flagso as to signal the skier's position in the water.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective drawing of the water safety system for awater-skier illustrating the compact packaging of the safety flag andits pole and the holster by which the system is carried about the bodyof a water-skier.

FIG. 2 is a perspective drawing of the means, whereby the safety flagsystem is transported by the skier illustrating the quick releaseholster and the means whereby a strap is engaged to maintain the systemin position either directly on the body of a water-skier or indirectlyby attachment to a life jacket.

FIG. 3 illustrates a partial cross sectional view of an extendable flagpole as presently preferred for use with the invention. A weightedfloatation chamber maintains the untended flag in an upright position inthe water.

FIG. 4 shows one method of attaching the safety system to the body of awater-skier. Illustrated is the system attached to the upper arm of askier.

FIG. 5 shows the untended safety flag floating upright in the water.

A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

For purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of theinvention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated inthe drawings and specific language will be used to describe same. Itwill nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of theinvention is thereby intended, there being contemplated such alterationsand modifications of the illustrated device, and such furtherapplications of the principles of the invention as disclosed herein, aswould normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the inventionpertains.

In devising a water safety system to be used by water-skiers certainsystem parameters were first predetermined. These parameters consideredthe dangers which safety flag display systems might present to the skieror to other persons in or on the water. It was first decided that anysignaling device, for example, a flag, would not be displayed while theskier was upright and traveling at high speed on the water. At thesespeeds, a fluttering flag could conceivably adversely affect the skier'sbalance.

It was also determined that there should be no whips, masts, or otherextensions of flag poles or the like carried by the skier to potentiallydamage the skier or other persons in the water.

The determination was made that the water safety system should occupy aminimal packaging envelope and yet be readily accessible to thewater-skier.

The water safety system 10 of the invention is presented in theperspective drawing of FIG. 1. Holster base 11 provides the means forcarrying the water safety system on the person. Holster pocket 12 andholster cap 13 provide a quick releasing mechanism which allows rapidaccess to signal flag assembly 14.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, holster base 11 is provided with strapengaging means, here illustrated as elongate openings 19. Elongateopenings 19 are intended to accept straps to hold the water safetysystem in position on the person of a water-skier. The straps employedmay be those which normally function to maintain a life jacket inposition. Alternatively, the straps employed may be such as to maintainthe water safety system attached directly to a limb (arm or leg) orwaist of the water-skier.

In the illustration of FIG. 1 short straps 15 are coupled to holsterbase 11 through elongate openings 19. The straps may be releasablysecured by the means of hook and loop type fasteners or permanentlycoupled as suggested by the stitching 17. Where releasable hook and looptype fasteners are employed, the strapping 15 may be removed fromholster base 11 and the existing straps on a life jacket may be employedto couple holster base 11 to the skier's life jacket.

Returning to the configuration of the invention 10 shown in FIG. 1,straps 15 are provided at their ends with complimentary lengths of hookand loop fasteners so that straps 15 may be adjustably loop coupledabout a person's limb. This arrangement is illustrated in FIG. 4 whereinthe invention 10 is coupled to the upper arm 28 of a person 27.

Flag assembly 14, shown in FIG. 3, is comprised of a signal flag 20 andan extendable flag pole 21. Flag pole 21 may be extended from theminimal transport dimension illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4 to the displaydimension illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5. The extendable nature of flagpole 21 permits the water safety system 10 to be placed in a minimalsized packaging envelope, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, which will notinterfere with the activity of the water-skier nor offer danger to theskier or to others the skier may come into contact with.

As seen in FIG. 3, the exemplary embodiment of flag pole 21 thereillustrated is comprised of three sections: A, B, and C. When carried byholster base 11, the sections of flag pole 21 are mated one within theother such that C resides within section B and both B and C residewithin section A. When the sections are extended, as shown in FIG. 3,spring loaded detente buttons 25 extend outwardly through holes 26 tomaintain flag pole 21 in its extended position. The surfaces of flagpole 21 may be treated to provide a non-slip grip as suggested by thescoring 24.

To prevent inadvertent loss of the flag assembly 14, flag pole section Ccontains a sealed floatation chamber 22 which is weighted at one end,with weight 23. Weight 23 is so disposed that flag 20 will be displayedfrom an upright flag pole 21 should the assembly 14 be left unattendedin the water. This situation is illustrated in FIG. 5 in which the flagis seen displayed above the surface of water 29 while the combination offloatation chamber 22 and weight 23 maintains flag pole 21 in an uprightposition.

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 4 the safety system 10 is contained within aminimal packaging envelope. Flag assembly 14 carries the flag furledabout the flag pole 21 which is compressed to its minimal extension. Aquick release fastener 18, FIG. 1, may also be provided to aid inmaintaining the flag in a secure position while the skier moves acrossthe water at high speeds. Upon entering the water the skier merely hasto raise holster cap 13 which provides swift and ready access to theflag assembly 14. The sections of flag pole 21 are extended and the flag20 is rapidly unfurled. The skier may wave the flag above her head toattract attention and to warn off approaching boats. Should the needarise for the skier to dive below the surface or be otherwise involved,the flag assembly 14 may be left unattended where it will float in agenerally upright position with the flag displayed above the water.

What has been disclosed is a water safety system to be carried on theperson of a water-skier. The water safety system occupies a minimalpackaging envelope and includes a signal flag borne by an extendableflag pole. The flag and flag pole assembly are readily accessible to theskier and permit rapid display of the signal flag when a skier entersthe water. Weighted floatation devices maintain the signal flagdisplayed above the water when the pole is unattended.

Those skilled in the art will conceive of other embodiments of theinvention which may be drawn from the disclosure herein. To the extentthat such other embodiments are so drawn, it is intended that they shallfall within the ambit of protection provided by the claims herein.

Having described the invention in the foregoing description and drawingsin such a clear and concise manner that those skilled in the art mayreadily understand and practice the invention, that which is claimedis:
 1. A water skier safety system comprising:a multiple section flagpole, the multiple sections of said flag pole being disposed in aminimal dimension for transport, and joined to form a flag pole ofextended length; a signal flag coupled to said flag pole and furledabout said flag pole when said flag pole is in its minimal dimension fortransport, and displayed from said flag pole when said flag pole is inits extended length, said flag pole in its extended length being handmanipulatable to wave said pole from the end of a person's arm todisplay said flag above the head of a person; a holster base fortransporting said flag pole and said signal flag when said base iscoupled to the limb of a person; means coupled to said base for couplingsaid base to the limb of a person; a holster pocket coupled to saidholster base for carrying said flag pole, in its minimal transportdimension with said furled flag, while said base is coupled to a limb ofa person; and quick release means coupled to said holster base formaintaining said flag pole and said flag carried by said holster pocketduring transport on a limb of a person and for quickly releasing saidflag pole and said flag from said pocket when a person wishes tomanipulate said flag pole in its extended length to display said flag.2. The safety system of claim 1 wherein said means coupled to said basefor coupling said base to the limb of a person comprise strap means forencompassing a limb of a person and having means for releasably securingsaid strap means to a limb of a person.
 3. The safety system of claim 2wherein said means for releasablly securing said strap means to a limbof a person comprise hook and loop fasteners coupled to said strapmeans.
 4. The safety system of claim 1 wherein at least one of themultiple sections of said flag pole comprises a flotation chamber formaintaining said flag pole afloat when unattended in a body of water. 5.The safety system of claim 4 wherein said flotation chamber includes aweighted end so that a portion of said flag pole, when said flag pole isafloat, extends upwards above the surface of the water in which the flagpole is floating.
 6. The safety system of claim 5 wherein said meanscoupled to said base for coupling said base to the limb of a personcomprise strap means for encompassing a limb of a person and havingmeans for releasably securing said strap means to a limb of a person. 7.The safety system of claim 6 wherein said means for releasablly securingsaid strap means to a limb of a person comprise hook and loop fastenerscoupled to said strap means.
 8. The safety system of claim 4 whereinsaid means coupled to said base for coupling said base to the limb of aperson comprise strap means for encompassing a limb of a person andhaving means for releasably securing said strap means to a limb of aperson.
 9. The safety system of claim 8 wherein said means forreleasablly securing said strap means to a limb of a person comprisehook and loop fasteners coupled to said strap means.